Small Wars Journal
Small Wars Journal is an ASU-affiliated non-profit online publication platform that publishes essays and analysis on small wars, irregular warfare, and national security from a global community of practitioners, scholars, and senior military leaders, monetized through $10/year memberships, advertising, and foundation grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersLargo, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Small Wars Journal does
Small Wars Journal (SWJ) is an online publication platform focused on small wars, irregular warfare, counterinsurgency, and national security discourse, serving a global readership of policymakers, active military personnel and veterans, academics, and defense analysts. The platform is community-driven, publishing essays, analysis, opinion pieces, and field reports contributed by practitioners, scholars, and senior leaders, with coverage organized by region (Africa, Europe, Greater Middle East, Indo-Pacific, Latin America, North America) and topic (El Centro for Latin America security, grey zone operations, cyber, counterterrorism).
SWJ was founded in 2005 by retired Marines Dave Dillege and Bill Nagle as a non-profit. Following founder Dillege's death in May 2020, the organization transitioned to Arizona State University's Future Security Initiative in 2021 and now operates under ASU Media Enterprises as "SWJ 2.0," with the copyright held by the Arizona Board of Regents. The publication runs on a WordPress-based publishing platform augmented by a human-AI teaming workflow for editorial review and fact-checking, enabling publication cycles measured in days rather than months. Sister products include the El Centro vertical for Latin America research and a collaboration with Inter Populum, an ASU-affiliated peer-reviewed journal for longer-form irregular warfare research exceeding 5,000 words.
Monetization is distributed across three channels: a $10/year individual membership offering ad-free content and members-only discussions; advertising and sponsorships from defense institutions, academic programs, and ASU entities; and foundation grants historically including Smith Richardson Foundation. GTM motion is community-led, with no enterprise sales motion; reach is driven by SEO, email newsletter, organic social, and conference/event sponsorships rather than paid acquisition.
Small Wars Journal firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Small Wars Journal
- Legal name
- Small Wars Journal (Arizona State University Media Enterprises)
- Website
- https://smallwarsjournal.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Small Wars Journal is an ASU-affiliated non-profit online publication platform that publishes essays and analysis on small wars, irregular warfare, and national security from a global community of practitioners, scholars, and senior military leaders, monetized through $10/year memberships, advertising, and foundation grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Small Wars Journal industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Publishing and National Security Commentary
- NAICS
- National Security (92811), International Affairs (928120), National Security and International Affairs (9281), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), International Affairs (9721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Special Operations & Counterterrorism (BPAIAHAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Peace, Security & Arms Control Organizations (BPADAAAF), Defense, Security & Emergency Management Congresses (THAHAJAG)
Keywords
Where Small Wars Journal is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Largo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Small Wars Journal business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership at $10/year provides ad-free exclusive content, members-only discussions, and direct updates from the SWJ Team.
- Advertising and Sponsorships: The platform displays third-party advertisements and sponsorships from organizations including ASU programs, defense institutions, and educational programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | SWJ Member - Annual subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Small Wars Journal product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Small Wars Journal is a non-profit online publication platform that publishes essays, analyses, opinion pieces, and commentary on small wars, irregular warfare, counterinsurgency, and national security topics. Operated under Arizona State University's Future Security Initiative, it provides a rapid-publishing (days vs. months) community-driven forum where practitioners, scholars, and senior leaders contribute and access non-partisan discourse on issues below the threshold of major interstate conventional wars.
Product overview
Small Wars Journal is a single publication platform offering multiple content tiers: a free public-facing website publishing essays, analyses, and commentary on small wars and national security, complemented by a $10/year membership providing ad-free exclusive content. The platform includes specialized sections such as El Centro for Latin America-focused security research, and collaborates with sister publication Inter Populum for longer peer-reviewed content.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Small Wars Journal (SWJ) Online Publication An online publication platform under Arizona State University's Future Security Initiative that publishes essays, analyses, and commentary on small wars, irregular warfare, and national security issues. Features both free public content and members-only ad-free content.
- SWJ Membership Annual membership subscription at $10/year offering exclusive ad-free content, members-only discussions, and direct updates from the SWJ Team.
- El Centro A specialized section of Small Wars Journal focused on Latin America security research, covering cartels, counternarcotics, and regional security issues.
Companies that use Small Wars Journal
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Small Wars Journal technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Feature1 record
Small Wars Journal partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- NelsonAIcoreSmall Wars Journal has entered into a content curation partnership with NelsonAI, an AI research companion for Latin American security analysis. Under the agreement, SWJ contributes its Latin America-focused security research (El Centro content) to NelsonAI's database. In return, SWJ receives annual NelsonAI licenses for use by ASU faculty, researchers, and graduate students. Both organizations plan to expand collaboration as NelsonAI develops features beyond the Americas.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Small Wars Journal competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Just Security: Just Security is an online forum for analysis on national security law, foreign policy, and civil liberties. Similar to SWJ in its digital publication model, multi-author essay format, and policy-relevant audience, though its focus is more legalistic.
- Defense One: Defense One is a news and analysis publication covering defense policy, military affairs, and national security from a journalistic perspective. It competes with SWJ for the policymaker and defense professional reader attention set, though with stronger newsroom staffing and broader general-defense coverage.
- Breaking Defense: Breaking Defense is a defense industry and policy news outlet delivering daily reporting on military procurement, programs, and strategy. Comparable to SWJ as a digital-first defense publication serving overlapping audiences of defense professionals, analysts, and policymakers.
- Lawfare: Lawfare is a leading online publication covering national security law, policy, and the intersection of technology and security. Like SWJ, it operates as a digital-first publication targeted at policymakers, scholars, and practitioners in the national security community, with similar rapid-publication essay content.
- War on the Rocks: War on the Rocks is a defense and foreign affairs online magazine publishing essays and analysis on national security, irregular warfare, and strategy. It is the closest direct peer to SWJ — same content format, overlapping contributor community (SWJ's Managing Editor Amos Fox is also a Contributing Editor at WOTR), and similar practitioner-scholar audience.
- Modern War Institute: The Modern War Institute at West Point publishes essays, research, and analysis on contemporary warfare, irregular warfare, and security topics from active-duty military officers and scholars. Comparable to SWJ as an academic-military hybrid publication with similar content categories and practitioner-scholar contributors.
Broad incumbents
- Foreign Policy Magazine: Foreign Policy is an established print and digital magazine covering global affairs, security, and international relations. Operates at broader scope than SWJ but covers overlapping topics including counterinsurgency, irregular warfare, and defense policy, with a similar policy-academic readership.
- The Diplomat: The Diplomat is a leading international affairs magazine covering security, politics, and economics in the Asia-Pacific. Broader in geographic scope than SWJ but overlapping in its audience of policy professionals, defense analysts, and academics interested in regional security and irregular warfare topics.
- Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS): CSIS is a major defense and foreign policy think tank producing research, commentary, and analysis on national security topics. Its publications and commentary platform partially overlap with SWJ's content, and CSIS hosts Policy Fellows who also contribute to SWJ (e.g., contributor Yilma Makonnen).
Emerging players
- Combating Terrorism Center at West Point: The Combating Terrorism Center publishes the CTC Sentinel and academic research on terrorism, insurgency, and irregular warfare. Highly comparable to SWJ in subject matter and military-academic hybrid model, though focused specifically on terrorism/counterterrorism rather than the broader small-wars category SWJ covers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Small Wars Journal social profiles
Digital presenceSmall Wars Journal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Small Wars Journal leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Small Wars Journal funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Small Wars Journal M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Small Wars Journal
What does Small Wars Journal do?
Small Wars Journal is a non-profit online publication platform that publishes essays, analyses, opinion pieces, and commentary on small wars, irregular warfare, counterinsurgency, and national security topics. Operated under Arizona State University's Future Security Initiative, it provides a rapid-publishing (days vs. months) community-driven forum where practitioners, scholars, and senior leaders contribute and access non-partisan discourse on issues below the threshold of major interstate conventional wars.
Is Small Wars Journal a public or private company?
Small Wars Journal is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Small Wars Journal founded?
Small Wars Journal was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Small Wars Journal based?
Small Wars Journal is headquartered in Largo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Small Wars Journal make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are advertising and Sponsorships.
Who are Small Wars Journal's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Just Security, Defense One, Breaking Defense, Lawfare, War on the Rocks and Modern War Institute. Broad incumbents are Foreign Policy Magazine, The Diplomat and Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Combating Terrorism Center at West Point is listed as an emerging player.
Does Small Wars Journal have an API?
No public API is recorded for Small Wars Journal.
What industry is Small Wars Journal in?
Small Wars Journal's product category is Online Publishing and National Security Commentary. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAHAH, Special Operations & Counterterrorism, with a secondary code of BPADAAAF, Peace, Security & Arms Control Organizations. Its NAICS code is 92811 and its SIC code is 2721.